May 9 Is Bike To Work Day

San Francisco loves biking, and one of the most fun and rewarding days to bike is the annual Bike to Work Day celebration. Next Thursday, May 9, join the two-wheel revolution along with hundreds of thousands of others who will be biking to work on this great day.

Energizer Stations, sponsored by the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, will be set up in neighborhoods across the city to offer free coffee, snacks and other goodies and mechanics. The nearest station to UCSF will be on the Pan Handle bike path.

Bicycle ridership is fast increasing in San Francisco. A recent survey by the San Francisco Metropolitan Transit Authority (SFMTA) found a 7 percent rise in bicycle use in the last five years. Roads are being retrofitted with safe bike lanes, and more and more people, both young and old, are feeling comfortable riding across town.

Organizations like the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition now have strong public voices to advocate for these positive changes. They envision a city with a comprehensive network of safe bike lanes.

Bikes are a healthy and clean transport option, which make public spaces much more inviting than polluting automobiles. Also, many people are surprised to learn that a bicycle is usually the fastest way to travel in the core of The City.

Even the SFMTA, on its website, supports biking: “More and more San Franciscans are riding bicycles every year. The increased bicycle ridership indicates a healthier city, a reduction in auto dependency and a much-needed movement towards sustainable transportation.”

UCSF must recognize the growing importance of bikes to students and employees. Every day the bike cage on Irving Street — the only covered bike parking on campus — quickly fills to capacity.

The simplest way to facilitate bike commuting to UCSF would be to provide more covered bike parking on both Parnassus and Irving streets. At the entrance to Dental School, for example, there is a large covered area where bike racks could and should be installed. Hopefully UCSF, which pledges to support healthy and environmentally conscious living, can make these biking improvements soon.

Synapse is the UCSF student newspaper. We seek to serve as a forum for the campus community. Articles and columns represent the views of the authors and not necessarily those of the Board of Publications or the University of California.